Schedule For NE 45th Street School Zone Flashing Lights

School zone flashing lights were finally installed on NE 45th Street going east and west to warn cars to slow down during Laurelhurst Elementary school hours.  The yellow flashing lights are mounted along with 20 mph school speed zone signs.

The school zone flashing lights are active Monday through Friday mornings from 7:15 to 8:05am and weekday afternoons, except Wednesday, from 2:15 to 2:55pm. On Wednesdays, when the school ends at 1:20pm, the lights flash from 1to 1:40pm.

Parents have been working on this safety issue for many years. In 2014, SDOT set up two temporary radar speed signs, in response to an application submitted by two Laurelhurst Elementary parents, at the time, in conjunction with the City's School Traffic Management Program. 

The parents also submitted an application for the Neighborhood Park and Street Fund for either radar signs and/or flashing yellow lights.The parents cited in their application that there was "excessive speed and lack of awareness of pedestrians around Laurelhurst Elementary during school hours" and that the program would address safety needs "by reducing vehicle speeds and awareness of the presence of children during school hours."

At that time, SDOT clocked the average speed over 24 hours at 23.9mph and maximum speed showed 0.1% of 7,686 cars going 65.2mph.

The Northeast District Council (NEDC) also tried to get safety improvements near the school, however was not successful as there were three other requested traffic safety and park projects, all based on stack ranking and available City budgets against cost for each project.